Seaspan Shipyards will begin work next month on two joint support ships for the Canadian Navy.
Seaspan has been awarded a $66 million contract from the federal government to build the hulls for the two vessels, which provide support to Canadian battleships. The contract was announced today, May 31, by federal Minister of Public Services Carla Qualtrough.
The support ships provide the Navy with things like resupplying, medical facilities, and helicopter equipment repairs.
It’s the latest contract to be awarded under the $8 billion National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) for non-combat vessels that Seaspan won in 2011.
Seaspan completed its first full ship, an offshore fisheries science vessel for the Canadian Coast Guard, in December. It is currently working on two more, which are in various stages of completion.
Seaspan spokesperson Nicholas Insley said initial work on the new joint support vessels will begin next month, and will ramp up. The company will be hiring more workers as it ramps up.
“At peak production, when we start building the entire vessel, it will be up to 1,000 workers,” Nicholas Insley said.
The work will take place in between work on the other offshore fisheries science vessels.
“When we’re ready to begin work on the offshore oceanographic science vessel for the Coast Guard, we’ll stop work on the supply ships and start work on the offshore oceanographic science vessel,” Insley said.
To date, Seaspan has received $600 million in committed contracts under the NSPS. Roughly 500 other businesses have benefited from the contracts, according to Seaspan.
